Naperville Festivals, Traditions & Special Events for 2019

Above / The Naperville Riverwalk provides the natural setting for many annual charity walks, concerts and other special events throughout the year. For the holidays, the Riverwalk Covered Bridge at Webster Street was decked out with bright lights to attract visitors to downtown Naperville where more than 300 shopping and dining experiences help create the vibrant heart of the community.

Above / From autumn through springtime, the Naperville Municipal Band performs indoors. The Naperville Municipal Band Summer Concert Season, 7:30PM on Thursdays in Central Park, returns in June, July and August 2019. Stay tuned all during 2019 as the Naperville Municipal Band celebrates its 160th year of marching in parades and entertaining on stage for the entire community! What a history! Thanks for supporting the arts!

Welcome to longstanding traditions! Plan a year of socializing. Then celebrate safely.

Longstanding events posted here are open to the public, providing plenty of happenings featuring local culture, social engagement and community spirit in Naperville, Illinois.

Events featured here are repeats. First-time events have yet to become traditions. Inaugural events may be submitted to PN’s calendar via click here. (Note, your submitted entry will go through an editing process. It will not appear immediately.) Thanks for sharing this service that also extends to other local media outlets.

Please note that some special event organizers send printed invitations via their acquired mailing lists with “save the date” messages as reminders. Invitations to community fundraisers listed here are not intended to be exclusive. Everyone is welcome. It’s likely once you attend, you will receive invitations in the mail.

The events listed here, many free*** of admission charge, invite all individuals to catch the spirit whether by personal invitation or not.

Some exact dates for 2019 have yet to be determined, but place-holder dates have been listed as reminders.

Students often participate in parades and other local traditions; however, school concerts and performances are not necessarily listed here. Thanks for supporting the arts at North Central College and in our schools.

Have a meaningful, safe and happy year. Peace.

PN’s perpetual calendar starts January 2019

Local events not featured on the perpetual calendar likely are featured on PN’s other event calendars by category. Click “Events” on PN’s Navigation Bar at the top of this page for a drop down of other calendar choices.

Coming in 2019…

Of resounding note, the Naperville Municipal Band will celebrate its 160th year with a long medley of music, music, music. Be part of this memorable season beginning indoors at Wentz Concert Hall at 3PM Sun., Feb. 17. All NMB Concerts are free of admission charge.

The final Ribfest at Knoch Park will be staged by the Exchange Club of Naperville over Independence Day, July 3-6. After the 2019 Ribfest, the big event for charity will move to another still-to-be-determined venue.

Above / The first parade of the year in downtown Naperville is the St. Patrick’s Parade beginning at 10AM on the Saturday in March before St. Patrick’s Day. Hosted by the West Suburban Irish, the sounds of bag pipers and the steps of the McNulty Irish Dancers entertain spectators. Collectible scarves with an Irish theme also will be sold along the parade route for $5 each. In 2019, celebrate St. Patrick on March 16, then again with Michael Finnegan on March 17. Think green and sunshine! Sláinte.

Exchange Club of Naperville Ribfest(Sometimes begins at end of June, but July 3-6, 2019. This will be the final Ribfest in Knoch Park. In 2020, the popular event is moving to another to-be-determined venue.)

August

Naperville Municipal Band Summer Concert Series Thursday Evenings 7:30PM in Central Park FREE! *** Summer tradition ends for this season on Aug. 8, 2019. Thanks for the memories! The final concert on Aug. 15 features the NMB Big Band.

September

Naperville loves a parade, its music and its timely bucket shakers for charity! The Frank E. Fling mascot thanks all marching bands from local middle and high schools to the Naperville Municipal Band for mustering up the rousing music that prompts cheers from spectators throughout the parade season!

(Now scroll down or up this page and catch up on many of the traditional events that showcase this community’s can-do spirit while Frank E. Fling rests up for the Little Friends Parade of Lights, the final parade of the year.)

More EVENTS by Category on Navigation Bar

Find links to categories in the drop down under “EVENTS” on the navigation bar near the top of this page.

Thanks for linking up and reading PN. Many stories about this active community are saved in the PN archive. Try using the “search” tool to find posts about the “Riverwalk,” “Naper Settlement” or the “DuPage Children’s Museum,” for example.

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